Volume 17 Issue 5 - February 2012

Let It ShineBENJAMIN STEINIf i had to pick one musical scale to take with me to a desertisland, and the only choice was between an elegantly craftedSchoenbergian twelve-tone row and a plain old blues scale, I’dquickly grab the blues scale before they tossed me off the ship.The noble musical experiments of Schoenberg and other modernistcomposers were enormously influential within academic and concertcircles. But while these august types were busy out-moderning eachother, blues and other African-derived musical styles — jazz, rhythmand blues, and hiphop, to name only several — colonized the world,holding sway in a manner akin to the complete cultural dominanceof Italian music in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries.February is Black History Month, and this column is going todepart from its usual listings format to explore this phenomenonin some depth. Black History Month was originally conceived asa week-long celebration encompassing the February birth dates ofAmerican abolitionist Frederick Douglass and president AbrahamLincoln. In modern times it has become an occasion for the peopleof the African diaspora to celebrate their history of struggle andtriumph, and their formidable achievements.One of these achievements is the degree to which African-derivedtechniques are part of the DNA of popular music. When yet anotherwell-scrubbed American Idol contestant launches into a showyfusillade of vocal melismas, they are echoing (but rarely surpassing)the vocal work of Stevie Wonder. (Also a notable composer,Wonder’s work is so innovative that it has barely been picked up byanyone, but that is another story). Any good professional bass playerbuilds on the nimble, inventive lines of genius Motown bassist JamesJamerson. Fletcher Henderson’s swing orchestra arrangements arethe Well-Tempered Clavier of jazz orchestra studies. In a musicalsense, every month is Black History Month, whether we consciouslyperceive it or not.Classical musical studies largely continue to ignore Africanderivedmusical techniques, leaving graduating students unequippedto deal with large areas of musical endeavor and employment. Itis as if drama students were taughtto execute Shakespeare, Racine andclassical Greek drama, but weresheltered from Beckett, television andfilm. Classical vocal students grapplewith the demands of 20th centuryvocal writing — often absurdly illwroughtfor the voice — but are givenno thorough stylistic understanding ofjazz or blues.It is in this area that choirs havebeen something of a vanguard. Choralgroups often have to be stylisticallydiverse, and classical choirs have beenexecuting choral arrangements ofspirituals since the beginning of thelast century. Singing African-derivedmusic with European technique and aesthetic remains a trap, butchoral directors are increasingly applying performance practicetechniques to this music, doing the listening, research and technicalpractice that leads to more authentic and appropriate performances.Toronto’s Nathaniel Dett Chorale, founded in 1998 by BrainerdBlyden-Taylor, has provided strong leadership in this area. Namedfor an African-Canadian, Drummondville composer who made hiscareer in the USA, the NDC has consistently programmed interestingand unusual works. On February 14 they team up with writerPETER MAHONSales Representative416-322-8000pmahon@trebnet.comwww.petermahon.comFebruary 1 – March 7, 2012thewholenote.com 25